The 2024 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway changed into one of the distinctive NASCAR Cup Series brief observe races in Next-Gen historical past thanks to 1 key issue: tire administration. As the Goodyear tires eroded at a faster-than-expected tempo, we noticed a observe document of 54 lead adjustments and side-by-side motion from flag to flag. It was a fantastic reminder that all-out, balls-to-the-wall racing isn’t essential to create a compelling occasion.
When tire put on began to grow to be a priority within the early components of the race, loads of followers have been skeptical; up to now, tire administration races have grow to be processional slogs as drivers attempt to protect their tire life — however at Bristol, we noticed the precise reverse. Sure, throughout longer runs, drivers slowed their tempo by just a few seconds to stop the concrete observe from completely demolishing the rubber, however there was nonetheless loads of passing and side-by-side motion to maintain issues compelling.
The spring Bristol race has been run on filth for the previous three years, however the fall races have all featured the concrete floor. Goodyear claimed that it introduced the identical tire mixture to this occasion because it did throughout final fall’s race, however as a substitute of the tires laying rubber onto the racing floor, the rubber as a substitute simply marbled off and picked up on the excessive facet of the observe. Halfway by means of the race, NASCAR gave Goodyear the go-ahead to offer groups an extra set of tires.
Again, this might have grow to be a procession; as a substitute, drivers and crews have been tasked with determining how one can deploy their arsenal of recent, sticker (or, used), and qualifying tires with a view to set themselves up for the very best end.
At the tip of the day, Denny Hamlin within the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota proved to have the precise technique. He led 13 completely different occasions for a complete of 163 of 500 laps, however his late-race green-flag pit cease proved to be the precise name. He and teammate Martin Truex Jr. battled it out for the lead within the closing 20 laps, weaving by means of site visitors. Only 5 vehicles completed on the lead lap.
After the race, the drivers had nothing however reward for the wild occasion.
“I have never seen anything like that,” Josh Berry mentioned, as reported in Racer. “I think I finished with like three flat tires, and the car was on fire in 11th. I kind of had fun, though. I’m not going to lie. That might be the biggest shitshow I’ve ever been a part of, but it was kind of fun.”
Brad Keselowski, in the meantime, praised the “discipline” required of drivers through the race, whereas Justin Haley “thought it was fun because you had to manage [the tires].”
One widespread thread all through the post-race press was the truth that, usually, NASCAR drivers are inclined to run races as if each lap is a qualifying lap. This is the sort of competitors that many followers at house count on to see, and it got here as one thing of a disappointment to a sure section of viewers. But because the race progressed and the racing remained compelling, a lot of those self same viewers discovered themselves caught up making an attempt to foretell the completely different methods that the drivers may implement.
“I don’t know what social media says, but as a driver, I thought it was fun because you had to manage it,” mentioned Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Ford. “You weren’t all-out the whole time, so it was fun to have a major part in how the car ran.”
Source: jalopnik.com